Representative photo
Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has secured working permission to use 8,883.24 sqm of defence land at Ghorpadi for widening North Main Road between ABC Farm Chowk and Tadigutta Chowk, clearing a major hurdle for the infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion in the Koregaon Park-Mundhwa corridor. The civic body plans to widen the approximately 2 km stretch from its existing 18 metres to 30 metres, adding at least one lane on either side to accommodate the growing volume of vehicles. Ministry of Defence, through a letter dated Sept 17, granted working permission to PMC to use the land at Ghorpadi on an equal value infrastructure (EVI) basis. “The land, located in survey numbers 40 and 41, has been valued at Rs 29.86 crore. In Dec 2023, PMC had proposed widening the stretch to 30 metres, citing the growing traffic burden from vehicles accessing Kalyaninagar and Koregaon Park from Mundhwa, Magarpatta and Pune Cantonment. In Sept 2025, PMC expedited the project by undertaking the widening in phases and shifting utilities, including electricity cables, water pipelines and poles. The civic administration had earmarked around Rs 2.11 crore for shifting utilities.
Because part of the required land belonged to the defence establishment, the proposal subsequently awaited clearance from defence authorities.
The civic body will have to provide infrastructure of equivalent value, while bearing the entire cost of the road-widening project and associated work,” Vikash Kumar, the defence estates officer of the Pune division, said. The sanction is subject to conditions, including demarcation of the land and formal approval for its permanent transfer by the competent authority, he said. Sachin Bagade, the executive engineer of PMC, who is overseeing the project, said, “The work of the one lane is in the final stage.
The road is a crucial link for commuters travelling between Koregaon Park, Mundhwa, Magarpatta, Pune Cantonment, Kalyaninagar and Hadapsar railway station. The project has been in the pipeline for several years. Work on the carriageway towards Tadigutta Chowk had progressed, but the defence land remained a major constraint for completing the remaining portion. The Board of Officers of the defence authorities will hand over the land and thereafter we will first initiate their boundary wall work before undertaking the widening work. It will take a few weeks to complete this statutory procedure.”
Akshay Joshi, a software professional from Mundhwa, said, “I waste almost 45 minutes daily in traffic snarls here. Sachin Mathurawala, the nominated member of Pune Cantonment Board, said, “Both the agencies should complete the procedure at the earliest so that the actual work will make progress in the coming months. Daily commuters have been facing traffic congestion daily due to the ongoing work.
The PMC must use the land exclusively for the approved project and cannot sell or mortgage it,” said the defence officials. The road is particularly important for working professionals travelling daily between eastern Pune’s residential and commercial hubs. During peak hours, narrow carriageways, heavy vehicles and the movement of private cars, buses and delivery vehicles frequently slow traffic. Sanket Kale, a working professional from Magarpatta, described the evening commute as a nightmare, pointing out that the narrow lanes kept traffic moving slowly. Commuters have also called for the widening to be completed in a coordinated manner rather than in isolated stretches. It has become unbearable for them. The project is expected to improve traffic movement by increasing road capacity and providing additional space for vehicles. However, commuters say timely execution and better junction management will be essential to translate the widening into a meaningful reduction in travel time. The ministry’s conditions require PMC to protect or relocate existing utilities, reconstruct any damaged defence assets, obtain necessary statutory clearances and maintain safety during construction.
“A Board of Officers will undertake the physical demarcation of the land and assess existing assets before the handover process is completed.
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